LAHORE: Heavy rains and record flooding in Punjab’s rivers have left at least 33 people dead, damaged 2,200 villages, and displaced more than 700,000 residents, officials confirmed.
Director General of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab, Irfan Ali Kathia, said the province is facing one of the most severe floods in its history across all three rivers.
He noted that water levels in the Sutlej River near Kasur have begun to drop, but a flow of 135,000 cusecs is expected to hit Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, and Vehari by tomorrow.
Floodwaters are already moving through Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur, while the discharge at Treemoon Barrage has spiked to 361,633 cusecs, rising by 100,000 cusecs in a short time.
Kathia added that local and provincial authorities are carrying out controlled embankment breaches to manage the flood’s intensity.
According to PDMA, nearly 2 million people in Punjab have been affected, with relief and rehabilitation work underway in the hardest-hit districts. Thousands of livestock have also been shifted to safer areas.
The DG PDMA said this ninth spell of monsoon rains has caused widespread devastation, worsening the flood situation across the province.